Auxiliary air-inlet device



Sept. 9 v

' C. F. PRATT AUXILIARY AIR INLET mIvI'cB Filed May 11, 1922 T M We P HH l M M I/ 0 A I I 1 Tu 5 7 4 .i a

3 Fr! all g I a 1 Patented Sept. 9, 1924.

UNITED'OISTATES CECIL F. PRATT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO SPHINX PRODUCTS CORPORATION, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A. CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

AUXILIARY AIR-INLET DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CECIL F. PRArr, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and the c'arbureter in producing ,a thoroughly atomized andlhighly combustible mixture, thereby increasing the efficiency of themotorand decreasing. the fuel consumption thereof, said device automatically operating to increase the proportion of air in the, gaseous mixture as the engine accelerates.

Theinvention contemplates the use of a device constructed 'so that it'maygbe' inter posed between the intake manifold of a motor and the carburetor, the device embodying a valve mechanism adapted to be actuated by the suction of the motor to admit air to the manifold. in quantities in direct proportion to the varying speed of the motor, the structure also supporting a screen in the manifold whereby fuel delivered from the carbureter will be thoroughly atomized before entering the cylinders.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in section illustrating the preferred form of the invention applied to the intake manifold and the carbureter of an internal combustion engine.

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the device.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the device taken on'line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 indicates an auxiliary vaporizer. This device comprises a head member 11 which is formed with a flat upper portion 12 agreeing in shape with the adjacent bolting flanges of an intake manifold 13 and Application filed Kay 11, 1922. Serial No. 560,016;

a carbureter 14-of an internal combustion engine.

pAri-znr ori-"lcs. f'

The lower end of the head member is cylindrical in shape and is'threaded at 15 to receive a cylindrical shell 16. The bottom. of this shell is closed and has an inlet opening 17, therethrough. Secured within the shell 16 'is a cylindrical valve cage 18.

.As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the valve cage is eccentrically disposed in the shell 16"and.

is formed with a longitudinal slot 19. With n the valve cage is a valve member 20 which 1s normally maintained in its lowermost position by gravity and a compression spring 21. thus normally maintaining the valve 20 in a closing position over the in prevent the admission of letopening17 to air therethrough;

As shown in Fig. 1, the head member 11 is formed wane vertical passageway 22 which'connects the interior of the shell with the interior of the intake manifold The flat upper portion 12 of thehead m'ember ll'is formed with a central aperture 23.

over which is positioned a cup-shaped member 24. This member is formed of reticulate d material and may be secured to the head member 11 in any suitable manner.

In operation, the device is assembledv as shown in the drawings, the flat portion 12 of the head member being positioned between the contiguous flanges of the intake The device drawn from the carbureter. As the engineincreases its running speed the valve member will continue to rise and uncover a greater length of the slot 18 and thereby admitting a greater quantity of air.

Attention is particularly directed to the upstanding lug 28 throughwhich the passageway 22 extends. This arrangement prevents liquid fuel from draining from the manifold into the valve casing.

In actual practice it has been found tha theair admitted to the manifold through the device enters the manifold at a high velocity. This tends to finely break any globules of fuel which may be drawn from the carbureter and as the amount of air admitted auto matically increases as the engine speed aocelerates, it is seen that a gaseous mixture will at all times be provided having the proper proportion of fuel and air, thus insuring economy in fuel consumption and maximum power from the engine.

While I have shown the preferred form of the invention it is to he understood that various changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of the various parts he made by those skilled in the art'witl'n out departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patcut is:

1, In combination with a carbureter and 1 the intake manifold of an internal combustion motor, of a valve mechanism comprising a head member adapted to be secured between the flanges of the manifold and the carbureter, said head member having an opening formed therein in alignment with the bore of themanifold, a reticulate cover for said opening, a cylindrical shell fixed at one end to said. head member. a valve cage fixed eccentrically in said shell'and having a longitudinal slot formed therein, said shell having an inlet opening formed in its bottom below the valve cage, a reciprocable valve member in said cage, a spring in the cage normally tending to maintain said valve member over said inlet opening to pre vent the admission of air therethrough, a passageway formed in the head member communicating with the interior of the shell and the interior of the manifold through said opening in, the head member whereby suction of the motor will raise said valve memher and draw air into the manifold through the inlet opening of said slot sageway.

2. In combination with a carbureter and the intake manifold. of an internal combustion motor, of a valve mechanism comprising a head member adapted to be secured between the flanges of the manifold and the carbureter, said head member having an opening formed therein in alignment with the bore of the manifold, a reticulate cover for said opening, a cylindrical shell fixed at one end to said head member, a valve cage fixed eccentrically in said shell and having a longitudinal slot formed therein, said shell having an inlet opening formed in its bottom below the valve cage, a reciprocable valve member in said cage, a spring in the cage normally tending to maintain said valve member over saidinlet opening to prevent the admission of air therethrough, a

passageway formed in the head member communicating with the interior of the shell and the interior of the manifold through said opening'in the head member whereby suction of the motor' will raise said ,valv

through the inlet opening of sai d slo t and said passageway an upstanding lug formed on the head member withinsaid opening through whichlug said passageway extends, said lug being adapted to prevent liquid fuel, from draining from the manifold into the shell.

EC BATr member and draw air into the manifol 

